Extract chimney flue lining and feature ideas?

[Mike P]

I have just removed a gas fire (no longer needed) and have demolished the fireplace up to the lintel. Now have a nice clean hole ! The ally flu lining is hanging down 6 inches below lintel. There is some up and down movement but loathed to give it a good yuk down .... just yet :-).

Will it be attached to the cowl on the stack?

Secondly .... I was going to brick it up and plaster over, but we thought we could make a bit if a feature of it. One offering has been to build in a wine rack :-) Any thoughts ? Cheers

Mike P

[Owain]

Possibly. Hopefully it's attached to *something*. :-) It might be easier to block off the opening at the bottom and pull the lining up from the top, then carefully stick a vacuum cleaner nozzle into the opening and suck out all the much.

You may also need to cap off at the top and introduce appropriate ventilation.

How about recessing a telly into the hole. You could even play a flames or aquarium DVD.

Owain

[Andrew Gabriel]

I opened out and plastered a fireplace. A few tips I could offer...

If it's on an outside wall, the wall at the rear of the fireplace might be thinner and less well insulated than the walls of the room. A 1" thick sheet of cellotex or kingspan at the rear will prevent it being a cold spot which would otherwise likely result in condensation induced damp.

The flue must remain ventilated top and bottom. Again, if it's an outside wall, vent to the outside rather than the room, to prevent the draw losing heat from the room. You could do this by taking a brick out through to the flue from the outside just above the top of the fireplace and blocking off from the room. (Not sure what effect the flue liner might have here.)

[Mike P]

.. >In article , .. > Mike P writes: .. >> Secondly .... I was going to brick it up and plaster over, but we .. >> thought we could make a bit if a feature of it. One offering has been .. >> to build in a wine rack :-) .. >> Any thoughts ? .. >

.. >I opened out and plastered a fireplace. A few tips I could offer... .. >

.. >If it's on an outside wall, the wall at the rear of the fireplace .. >might be thinner and less well insulated than the walls of the .. >room. A 1" thick sheet of cellotex or kingspan at the rear will .. >prevent it being a cold spot which would otherwise likely result .. >in condensation induced damp. .. >

.. >The flue must remain ventilated top and bottom. Again, if it's .. >an outside wall, vent to the outside rather than the room, to .. >prevent the draw losing heat from the room. You could do this .. >by taking a brick out through to the flue from the outside just .. >above the top of the fireplace and blocking off from the room. .. >(Not sure what effect the flue liner might have here.)

~It is on an inside wall. Glad you confirmed about ventilating. A builder said it did not need it. If I leave the lining in and cut off excess, am I to ventilate just via the lining or the whole flu as well ?

Mike P

[Ed Sirett]

The liner will/should have gone to a register plate with a terminal on top. This is weather proof so no rain should be coming down the chimney. This means that you can probably get away with sealing the chimney. However I'd leave a little vent hole just in case.